Al-Daein, March 09 (Darfur24)
Six civilians, including children, were killed and 11 others injured on Sunday after a drone strike hit a fuel depot in the city of Al-Daein, capital of East Darfur State.
Eyewitnesses told Darfur24 they saw the drone, believed to be operated by the Sudan Armed Forces, flying over the city before it struck a yard used to store fuel belonging to a local trader west of Al-Daein market. The strike triggered a powerful explosion and fire, causing panic among residents.
Medical sources at Al-Daein Teaching Hospital said six people died from suffocation caused by smoke from the fire. The victims included a woman and her children, as well as another individual. The sources said the victims belonged to the family of a teacher who lived near the site of the explosion.
Al-Daein has previously been targeted by air raids attributed to the Sudanese army, including strikes on government facilities such as the city’s referral hospital.
Witnesses also reported that another drone strike targeted a combat vehicle in the town of Dar al-Salam, about 38 kilometers east of Al-Daein, killing four soldiers, including an officer, and injuring five others who were later transported to Al-Daein Hospital.
According to witnesses, the vehicle had been traveling from Al-Fula in West Kordofan State toward West Darfur when it was struck. The attack occurred roughly three hours after the fuel depot was bombed inside Al-Daein.
Since November 2023, East Darfur has been largely under the control of the Rapid Support Forces, which remain engaged in fighting with the army and have established a parallel civilian administration in the state.